Morphological,phonological, and orthographic differences between the spelling of normally achieving children and basic literacy adults

In this study, we compared 41 adults in a basic literacy class with 92 achievement-level-matched children on their use of English print conventions, as inferred by a qualitative analysis of spelling errors. The two groups followed similar patterns in their mastery of basic spelling features, including letter reversals, consonant blends, and short vowels, with the adults showing relatively more advanced skill in using orthographic patterns. However, the adults made a preponderance of misspellings that were rarely made by the children, including omissions, substitutions, and additions of derivational and inflectional morphemes, and neglect of word endings in general. The findings indicate clear morphological difficulties along with more subtle phonological coding deficits. We suggest that low literacy adults would benefit from specific direct instruction in linguistic analysis, with particular attention to the morphological principles underlying inflections and derivations. Such instruction should be based on a careful assessment of reading and spelling knowledge.     

Faculty perceptions of job rewards and instructional development activities

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of faculty at a large urban university concerning: (a) personal and college rewards for various areas of job responsibilities, and (b) which programs and incentives to enhance teaching effectiveness would be most attractive to them. Faculty generally reported both teaching and scholarly activity to be personally rewarding, but perceived discrepancies between personal and college rewards for teaching, and between college rewards for teaching and scholarly activity. Although a wide range of instructional development programs and incentives was endorsed, the top rated options referred to institutional recognition of teaching excellence.The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following persons with this project: Nellie Bess, Gilbert Braun, Donald Brewer, Eileen Duffy-Blair, Gary Duncan, Daniel Funk, James West, Cheryl White.     

Gendered experiences of inclusive education for children with disabilities in West and East Africa

Background. Education is a fundamental human right, yet many children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries remain deprived of educational opportunities. The movement towards quality inclusive education (IE) aims to support all children at school. Although gender and disability are key factors influencing IE, limited research explores their combined influence. Purpose. This study explored the gendered experiences of IE for children with disabilities in West and East Africa. Methods. A qualitative interpretive secondary analysis was conducted on studies from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Niger, Zambia, and Malawi. Interviews with children, community members, and policy stakeholders were thematically analysed to explore intersections among gender, disability, and education. Findings. Boys and girls with disabilities experienced similar cases of social exclusion at school. However, girls with disabilities were further hindered by societal biases against their educational potential and by sexual abuse. While boys with disabilities were stereotyped as more capable, their experiences of emotional and physical violence were often overlooked. Implications. To achieve quality IE for all, strategies should aim to foster inclusive and safe school environments for all children, empower girls with disabilities to pursue education, and challenge gendered societal attitudes that hinder educational opportunities.     

The Development of Intra-Departmental Stratification and Competition for Resources: A Case Study of a Non-Research Based Higher Education Institution

Fluctuations in the financial welfare of institutions of higher education have long been tied to our country’s economic well-being. For many institutions the most recent financial downturns have led to historic revenue and enrollment difficulties that have necessitated the use of cost containment strategies to conserve dwindling resources. Included in these tactics are resource allotment decisions that reflect administrative favor towards some academic departments, leading to the development of a prestige-based stratification system and competition driven funding. A case study of a non-research based institution is used to take a preliminary look at the impact of institutional resource conservation on intra-departmental competition for resources and disparate funding allocations across disciplines in this setting. Special attention is given to the trends in enrollment and the selection of particular academic majors that have occurred across time and in response to the institution’s continued fiscal difficulties.     

Questions,Answers and Wait-time: implications for assessment of young children

While testing children for readiness to enter Kindergarten using the Peabody Individual Achievement Test-R and interview probes, a pattern of responses developed indicating that some of the children were continuing to process answers to questions and to formulate elaborations to statements long after the testing had moved to other questions and lines of inquiry. This development was then examined to determine whether young children should be given extended thinking/processing time in order to properly and completely demonstrate their abilities and knowledge. Consideration of validity and relevance must also be given to answers that may at first appear to be irrelevant to the latest question asked. The implications of the data for planning, developing, and implementing assessment as well as decisions regarding curriculum and instruction are discussed.     

Orthographic Depth and Spelling Acquisition in Estonian and English: A Comparison of Two Diverse Alphabetic Languages

In this study, we investigated the link between the orthographic transparency of a language and the ease or difficulty of acquiring spelling proficiency in that language. The two languages compared are English, with a highly irregular sound-to-print correspondence, and Estonian, a Finno-Ugric language that has one of the most highly regular sound-to-print matches among alphabetic languages. Our study finds Estonian students able to use their early knowledge of stable letter-sound correspondence to attain a high level of spelling proficiency as early as first grade. English students progress more slowly along a predictable pattern of acquiring proficiency based on increasingly more difficult word features. The final indication is that progress in spelling is highly dependent on the orthographic depth of the language being studied.